


Since We Were Severed

by Once a TG fan (MeanQueen)



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Elves Goblins Orcs Dwarves Trolls etc, Fantasy AU, High Fantasy AU, M/M, Magic, Ogres and Unicorns, SORRY THIS HAS BEEN ABANDONED, Sorcerers, graphic eating scenes, hidekane, there is a tad of tsukikane too but not much
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-30
Updated: 2014-11-05
Packaged: 2018-02-23 05:28:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2535863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeanQueen/pseuds/Once%20a%20TG%20fan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'll come back," Hide promised. But Kaneki never knew that Hide even tried.</p><p>Not until it was too late and things had changed.<br/>Now Hide could never come back for him. Or at least, he should have never come back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Adventurers!

**Author's Note:**

> The boys are thirteen in this chapter.
> 
> Kaneki's mom is also still alive, though she died when he was somewhere between 6 and 10 in the manga.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys are thirteen in this chapter.
> 
> Kaneki Ken's mother is also still alive, even though I'm aware she died when he was only around 6 or 7.
> 
> As characters/relationships are introduced I shall be adding them to the list.

 

      It was peaceful. Vividly plumed birds with flamboyant tails sat perched among the orange and yellow leaves, singing charmingly. White butterflies glided below them. Comforting sunlight shone through the golden canopy. The light fell upon a little stepping-stone trail far below, which was partially obscured by fallen leaves and moss. The trail was usually pretty busy, full of bustling carriages and armored adventure-seekers on horseback. But it was the middle of the day now. Mid-day was a slow-point so the trail was fairy vacant at the moment. A traveler would pass by every once in a while, their eyes filled with awe at the forest’s vibrant color shift to gold.

      The town the path led to was very disappointing in comparison to the forest around it. It was a poor town, populated mostly by gnomes and humans with bitter faces and black hearts. Of course, because it was a trading town, travelers and nomads—who were often very kind—were constantly passing through, so it wasn’t all bad.

      Far above the ground, a human lay on a thick branch high in a tree. It was a boy of about twelve years old. He was resting his blonde head against the tree’s trunk, and one of his legs dangled over the edge. He was not from the town, though he had spent a good portion of his life scrambling around in the alleys with the thieves and conmen who lived there. But that would be changing soon. He was going to be heading home. _Today_. Hence, he was here, up in the high branches of the tree, waiting to depart.

      He turned and twisted something in his hands as he stared up at the white butterflies. That something was a dagger with crudely sharpened edges. Dull as it was, he used it often, especially in the past few weeks in preparation for this trip home. The rusting little tool was a gift, and while he was sure he could probably find one of more value in the pocket of a beggar, he treasured it. How could he not when the one who had given it to him was—

      “Hide?”

      The blonde jerked up and peered down at the distant base of the tree with a vivid grin. Two little dots shifted nervously, searching for him. There stood his favorite person, his sole companion for the upcoming trip, Kaneki Ken. Beside him, brushing through his black hair with her delicate hands was his mother.

      Hide sheathed the little dagger and pocketed it. “Hey Kaneki!” he exclaimed as he stood up and stepped from the thick branch down to another one. “I’ll be down in a sec!”

      He wanted to smack himself when he heard Kaneki call up, “Don’t fall” and immediately did so.

      Luckily for him, the tree had many thick branches in tight clusters. He landed heavily on his back and proceeded to roll off onto another branch just a few feet below it. A few blunders later and his scuffed up boots hit the cushiony moss of the ground.

      Hide dusted himself off and looked up at his friend and his current caretaker.

      They were slight and pale, with pointed ears and tired, steel-colored eyes. Kaneki’s mom’s eyes were partially obscured by her glasses. They usually wore simple clothes, stuff Hide saw on the street every day. This was a bit unusual for elves, but seeing as they were some of the only elves in an all-human town, it made sense to Hide that they would attempt to blend in. But right now Kaneki was wearing the best traveling outfit his mom could make. He had sturdy leather boots, thick fabric was used to make his shirt and pants, and even a hooded cloak to cover his ears if ever necessary.

      Kaneki’s mom held up a knapsack, which Hide took and slung over his shoulders. He smiled at her and she smiled back, although it was an exhausted and somewhat somber smile.

      “There is emergency money in the hidden pocket,” she explained softly and brushed some short black hair behind her pointed ear. “I also included a note to your parents so please give that to them when you arrive.”

      “You know, you could come with us...” Kaneki muttered so quietly that both Hide and Kaneki’s mother barely caught it.

      “No Ken, I need to stay. I may be able to join you in a few months, but... not right now.” She sighed deeply and kissed the top of his head before adding, “I need to get back to work.”

      “Okay Mom.”

      The two hugged, exchanged their I-love-yous and goodbyes and then Kaneki’s mom reluctantly left. The boys watched her go and they waved every time she glanced back at them. And then the trail was empty. It remained empty for a few hollow minutes, while the boys just stood there.

      Hide sighed and looked at his friend. Kaneki was still staring at the stone trail that led back to the town he’d been living in for the past few years. His face was bleak. It made Hide want to do something stupid to make the young elf laugh, but instead Hide took Kaneki’s hand and began to lead him the opposite way down the trail.

      Docile as always, Kaneki followed, but he kept looking in the direction his mother had gone.

      “You’re going to see her again in no time,” Hide said as he turned his face back to the golden leaf-covered stone trail head. “I don’t completely agree with her, choosing to stay for the sake of her sister when she has you to worry about, especially considering she’s a pretty cruel person, your aunt... but I do think _this_ is for the best. She can’t take care of you right now, but my folks and I can! And, you know, eventually she’ll be able to join us.”

      Kaneki remained quiet.

      “When she gets here, maybe we can get the local enchanter to teach her a few magic tricks,” Hide rambled stupidly. “Wouldn’t that be cool, to see your mom using magic again?” He paused for a minute and glanced back and smirked when he saw Kaneki had a fallen leaf on the top of his head. He brushed it off and said, “I think you’ll like my parents. And they’ll probably like you too. They might tease you though, so brace yourself!”

      “...Yeah.”

      The one-sided conversation died there. Kaneki obviously didn’t want to talk.

      After giving Kaneki’s hand a gentle squeeze, Hide turned back to the path. He felt that maybe thinking in silence and walking on autopilot was probably better for Kaneki. So the human led on in silence.

 

 

      _CLACK_!

      The scowl was barely there, but still, such an expression was a rare sight on Hide’s face. He was frustrated. The flint rocks in his shaking hands refused to cooperate with him. They were sparking, sure, but the sparks weren’t lighting the pile of wood he’d collected. So he kneeled in this pitch blackness, shivering from the cold and flinching at the sound of every crunching leaf and creaking tree he heard.

      _CLACK_.... _Fwoosh_!

      Orange light illuminated and painted Hide’s immediately relieved face and reflected off his warm brown eyes. He uttered an exaggerated sigh of, “ _Yeees_ ” before leaning forward and blowing gently on the flame to help it spread and catch. When it was finally burning in a way he was satisfied with, he sat back up, looked at his elf friend and beamed, "Okay we're fine now."

      Kaneki nodded from right beside him, bundled up in his cloak.

      “So!” Hide exclaimed with a clap before he untied the flap of knapsack and began to shuffle through its contents, “What are you hungry for, buddy? Your mom packed us a few different things... we might have to go hunting in a few nights though, but don’t worry. I’ve been practicing with traps for weeks.”

      “With traps?” Kaneki asked with a raised eyebrow. “For what?”

      “Squirrels and stuff. Remember that big old lizard we sold at the market a few days ago?”

      Kaneki scoffed, “You said it attacked you and you fought it.”

      Hide chuckled and pulled a hand out of the bag to rub the back of his neck, “Did you believe that?”

      Kaneki rolled his fire-reflecting eyes and laughed, “Nope, but you were so proud so I went along with it. Anyways, um, I think she packed some steak?”

      Hide laughed, "I figured so!" and began to dig through the bag, excavating for the steak. Just as he was about to give up, he spotted an object wrapped in cloth and pulled it out. When he unwrapped it, he saw that it was, in fact, the steak! It was old, cheap, tough-looking steak that would _definitely_ exhaust the boy’s jaws, but they weren’t picky! This was what they were used to. Hide had never been a picky eater and Kaneki was too polite to complain; that and he rarely ever had anything truly good to compare it with. Kaneki had to live off the very small amount of money he and his mother collected from their multiple jobs, so he rarely got a chance to try out the delicacies. True, Kaneki got to try things at the bakery every once in a while, but these were usually the treats that had gotten too stale to sell. Hide knew that Kaneki still appreciated them though.

      The boys pondered for a few minutes how they would cook the steak. Hide was on the verge of suggesting they just eat it raw but Kaneki ended up fashioning a pretty nice little spit to roast the steak with. They chattered while they took turns turning the spit, which became something like a game to the two teenagers. When the steak was finally done—and burnt—they ended up breaking the spit to get the steak off.

      After it cooled, Hide awkwardly sawed it in half with his dull dagger, which was great because it made Kaneki laugh and call him silly.  They each ate their portion of the tough, cheap, burnt steak with bare hands and the contentedness of pampered princes eating ambrosia.

      Hide finished his steak first and wiped his hands on the mossy floor he sat on. He leaned back and looked up at the black canopy before his eyes shot to Kaneki and he sang, “I’ve got it!”

      With a mouth full of half-chewed steak, Kaneki reluctantly mumbled, “...What do you have?”

      “A scaaaary stoooory,” Hide drawled with a confident smirk. “What makes it even scarier is that it’s _true_.”

      “Mhm. Too bad I won’t be scared.” Kaneki didn’t sound convincing at all. Sure, he _looked_ convincing: His eyes were half-lidded, looking at Hide with exaggerated disinterest while he chewed. But the expression only made Hide more excited about the story. He knew Kaneki well. He could tell that Kaneki was just pretending to be bored with the idea. It was his attempt to dissuade Hide from telling the scary story because Kaneki knew he was going to be terrified. The biggest give away was the one hand on his chin, which was Kaneki’s tell when Kaneki was lying.

      “Sorry Ken, I’ve got to tell you for your own good.”

      “Please don’t,” Kaneki said around his steak.

      “Once upon a time,” Hide started, motioning with his hands at some made-up scene, “There was a distant empire full of the most talented defilers, scourges and dark-magic sorcerers. There were people from all walks of life and from every species: humans, orcs, goblins, trolls, elves—you name it!”

      At that, Kaneki shifted nervously. He seemed to have realized what the topic of this story was about. “Is this story about..”

      “Shh!” Hide hushed and then continued with the same tone as before, gesturing again in the air. “They all lived under the rule of a terrible, hideous monster they would refer to as their King. Now, this ‘King’ was as cruel as it was terrifying. It didn’t have a soul, you see, and could only sustain itself through one thing: flesh. It demanded the corpses of everyone its subjects, the defilers and scourges, killed. They happily obliged, roaming every single territory and killing everyone they could. They fed the monster for hundreds of years. But eventually...” Hide paused, with a narrow-eyed smile at his pal.

      Kaneki wasn’t really scared yet. He seemed to be filled with anticipation instead. His eyes kept shifting out into the darkness, like he expected to see some skull-faced warlock standing there with a bloody staff and a crow on its shoulder. And his ears twitched just a tiny bit like they did when he was paying close attention. But despite all of that, he was still chewing slowly on his portion of the steak.

      “Eventually... they caught the attention of a deity.”

      This drew Kaneki’s attention back to Hide. He wrinkled his nose and pursed his lips. “A deity? There are no deities...” A little bit of chewed up steak fell out of his mouth. What a dweeb.

      “Well that depends who you're talking to doesn't it?” Hide replied with a huff. "You know, we're going to a pretty religious ward. I've seen plenty of people worshipping deities in the temples and chanting to them. Not that I believe in those kinds of things myself but... Aaaugh that's beside the point Ken! Back to the story, this deity came to be very interested with the monster and its disciples. It was  _jealous_ of their king.”

      “Why?”

      “Who knows. But in the end, it ended up placing a curse on the monster and all of its followers, a curse that made them need flesh to survive. And flesh was the only thing they could ever consume. Everything else would damage their health and taste like the foulest filth. That, and their magic was condensed into weapons consisting of their own flesh called Kagunes. They became creatures of rot and gore. They became _ghouls_.” Hide clapped on the word “ghouls” which elicited a start from his friend. While Kaneki stared down at the ground, deep in thought, Hide chuckled.

      “You know,” Kaneki mumbled quietly, “I think my mom told me that story before once... Maybe not exactly the same, but...”

      “Oh what really?” Hide replied with honest surprise. “Dang. She beat me to the punch.”

      Kaneki shared a little apologetic smile with Hide and swallowed the last of his dinner. Then he began to pull the tattered blankets he and his mother had packed out of the knapsack. While he had them bundled in his arms, he looked at Hide and asked, “Hide, are ghouls your favorite kind of creature? I don’t think you ramble about anything else nearly as much.”

      Hide wasn't sure. He tried to think of something that interested him more. Maybe something more banevolent... He knew Kaneki's favorite mythical creatures were unicorns, but he wasn't quite sure about himself. "I guess so," he said.

      "Why?"

      For this, his answer was quick. "I think it’s because they are so dangerous to people,” Hide offered. “I guess I’m fascinated more by things that can kill me easily.”

      “Well if that's the reason, ghouls aren’t the most dangerous things out there,” Kaneki replied with a huff as he laid out one makeshift bed for Hide and then one for himself. “They are the most disturbing, sure, but not the most dangerous. I think a dragon or a cockatrice could do a lot more damage than a ghoul could.”

      Hide wiggled his fingers at Kaneki and whispered, “Except you’ve never walked by a cockatrice or a dragon on the street. Ghouls can pass as normal people! They can blend in and disguise themselves if they really want to.”

      Kaneki’s eyes got wider at the idea. “You’re saying...”

      “You’ve probably bumped shoulders with a ghoul in passing before.”

      Kaneki's jaw dropped. He blinked, but aside from that his face didn't change as he looked down at the blankets and then squinted at Hide. When he didnt close his mouth and he seemed to regain control of his face muscles, he frowned and then his face softened. "Weird," was his response. Without another word, Kaneki Ken curled up in his ratty blankets with a little “goodnight Hide.” He wouldn’t be sleeping for at least an hour.

      Hide, with a smug expression, crawled into his blankets too. Though he had no intention of actually falling asleep for a few more hours, he ended up falling asleep before Kaneki did.

 


	2. Mud

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heads up, this chapter has a bit of gore so be wary if you're uncomfortable with that.

     Even the late-morning mist was colored like wheat. Warmth flooded in through the gaps in the yellow leaves, warming the slick white bark of the colossal trees and the stony trail despite it still being morning. While that might be troublesome for the little travelers in the later hours of the day, when they would be sweating and still needing to travel for another few hours, they were having great fun with it at the moment!

     Today, the boys had passed a few other travelers. First there were these two monster-hunters, part of the biggest and most official organization, Commission of Counter Ghoul or CCG. The CCG hunters—or “investigators” as they preferred to be called—wore heavy looking plate armor with doves etched into the breast. They also wielded the most beautiful weapons either boy had ever seen! The metal was bloody red and there were glowing runes carved along the broad sides of the weapons, which happened to be a large sword and an axe. The two men—both mounted on beautiful white horses with long, shimmering manes—did not pay the children any heed as they passed, despite Hide’s confident, “Wow! Where is your destination? Are you going to kill monsters, or just check stuff out?”

     Another group they passed, which lightened their spirits after the cold response of the investigators, if that counted as a response, was very kind! They were a group of about fifteen or twenty really _giggly_ orcs. The orcs were striding proudly despite their tattered clothes and bare feet. Upon spotting Hide and Kaneki the largest and most virile orc, who also happened to have the deepest dimples, had taken a deep breath through the nose and called out, “Hail children! May you find your way safely to your destination!” And as he and the other orcs passed they took turns nodding to the boys.

     Those were the goddamn _sweetest_ orcs Hide had ever met. He was pretty sure Kaneki was just as in love with them as he was because Kaneki kept glancing back and smiling in that direction, even long after they had disappeared around the bend in the road.

     That had been hours ago.

     Since the orcs, Hide kept taking in deep breaths through his nose, causing Kaneki to scoff and smile at his absurdity every time. But the mockery only made Hide more invested in the action. He was convinced he could make Kaneki smile all day with only a few stupidly loud inhales every fifteen minutes or so. But his quest was forgotten when, during one inhale, Hide smelled smoke. He stopped walking immediately and glanced up and around in case the fire was close. “Kaneki, do you smell that?”

     “Maybe it’s a campfire... this _is_ a common road. We did pass a few campfires yesterday,” Kaneki guessed. “If it was a forest fire, one of those groups we passed would have stopped us.” That was a pretty logical thing to assume, but...

     Hide looked around again. One, if it was a campfire, it was a really pungent one if he could smell it before he even saw it. Two, it just didn’t smell the same. It smelled like there was more than just wood and the occasional dried leaf burning. But he kept it to himself, because what else was he supposed to do just yet? Maybe there was a giant bonfire just through the trees or something.

     It was nearly twenty minutes before they came upon the first real hints of a fire. Wisps of dusky white smoke were ghosting between the trees and through the leaves, up into the sky a bit further down the trail. Hide didn’t see any actual flames, but the amount of smoke was proof enough for him. “Kaneki we can’t just walk into a forest fire,” he sighed. “We’ll have to take a detour.”

     “I... didn’t know there were any, Hide,” Kaneki muttered dumbly. “There weren’t any on the maps I looked over before this trip.”

     “Well then just trust me,” Hide said with a smile. He patted Kaneki on the shoulder before he turned around and began to backtrack up the road.

 

 

     They eventually stepped off the stepping-stone road onto a dirt path. It was a winding little path. It lead the boys over hills and under the branches of uprooted trees. The longer they walked, the slighter and darker the trees became and the dimmer the world seemed.

     The bark of the trees became nearly black and rough like scabs piled on top of scabs. The trees themselves began to distort and twist and their branches stopped looking curly and banking, but sharp, cornered and gangly like the talons of a crow. The world became grey, rather than bright, yellow and cheerful. There were no more gaudily colored birds or white butterflies for the boys to admire in their boredom. The mossy, leaf-speckled ground became dull, nearly black dirt and thick, deep mud. Eventually, even the path disappeared.

     That seemed to be Kaneki’s last straw. He stopped walking and whispered, “I don’t think this is a safe route to take. We should turn back and just wait for the fire to stop.”

     “That could take weeks.”

     “I thought your instincts were good Hide. Can’t you tell that this place is bad?”

     Hide looked around. It was kind of ominous yeah, but he liked it. With a mock impression of an old sage, Hide crooned, “Don’t judge a book by its cover, my son,” and proceeded to wag his finger in the elf’s worried face.

     Kaneki seemed comforted by that. His eyes lightened a bit and he took another good look around him. Hide could tell that he was trying to see the bright side of every gnarled tree they passed by. “I suppose it’s not _that_ bad,” Kaneki said with a shrug. “Maybe if there were more books lying about though—”

     “Ha! And some music. Also more nice orcs to cheer us on and tell us to have a good day—”

     “Oh.”

     Hide followed Kaneki’s gaze and repeated his friend’s “oh”. There was a thick bank of mud ahead of them; one they couldn’t just walk around. There was a steep hillside to one side of them and the mud bank just seemed to keep going and going, getting wider and wider as it went through the other side. It seemed that crossing here was their only option.

     His elven companion, who was carrying the knapsack today, immediately set the bag down and began to pull off his boots.

     Hide joined him. Along with their socks, the boots were stuffed into the knapsack. Then the boys rolled their pants up as high as they could possibly get them, which was at the knee. Hide really hoped the mud wouldn’t reach that high, because he felt having mud only on the inside of the pant leg would be ten times worse than it being on the outside.

     The human took the first step, and as the mud consumed his soles, then his ankles and then his lower calves, every muscle in his face got a chance to manipulate his expressions. He was pretty sure he just portrayed the crowd at a murder-romance-adventure play in the course of a few seconds. This was a good thing though because Kaneki chuckled.

     They waded slowly through the motionless mud river. It was lifting their legs that ended up being the main focus of the trudge. Not the effort to keep pants rolled up or cloaks bundled up around shoulders. Not the feeling of sticks and rocks rubbing against their feet. Just the fight against all of gravity condensed into the mud around their feet.

     “We’re almost there,” Hide groaned. “Keep going.”

     “Okay,” Kaneki groaned back.

     “Reuuugh,” something _else_ groaned after that.

     Hide’s muscles stalled for a moment he nearly mistook for an hour. The effort he put into actually turning his head toward the sound was crippling.

     Kaneki was staring back behind them as well. “H-Hid—”

     “ **AAAAAAAUUUREEERGGHH**!”

     With screams that could almost match the shattering power the monster surely possessed, the two boys lurched forward, grabbing at any branches and roots that protruded from the mud!

     The weight of the monster they had awoken sent hair-raising vibrations through the earth, vibrations that only confirmed Hide’s fear that they were going to be smashed. He didn’t want to look back at it. He did anyways.

     It was as tall as a two-story house with moss, tall grass blades, and even a little pine tree growing from its wide shoulders. Green-grey and oddly calloused flesh hung as loosely from its bones as a walrus’s would. And those hands, those _feet_ —they were as large as the creature’s head, which meant the kids couldn’t even compare to the size of one of the goliath’s chubby fingers. Hide, though he had never seen one before, knew the monster was an ogre.

     Kaneki escaped the grip of the mud bank first and turned around to grab onto Hide’s arms. He yanked Hide from the bank with enough force to throw a discus!

     “RUN!” They screamed at each other while already doing so.

     But the ogre was moving too! Well, kind of. It was much larger and one of its strides could cover ten of theirs, but it still had to put in quite a lot of effort to keep up with them! It wailed and whined as it brushed aside fragile trees and shrubbery in order to keep up with the little people.

     “Next big tree...” Kaneki panted, “We come across... hide into the roots!”

     “I think it will just tear the roots up!” Hide countered. “And then we’ll be trapped!”

     The two leapt over a fallen log, which they heard being smashed at the count of five.

     “Climb it!”

     “What if it can climb?!”

     Kaneki’s face soured and then was stricken with more panic as things snapped behind them.

     They ran down a steep incline, turning their feet a little bit sideways so they didn’t end up diving down the hill. When they reached the bottom Kaneki almost took off to the left but Hide grabbed his forearm and yanked him to the right. They sped through the dark trees, leaping over ferns and swatting away branches to avoid as many cuts and bruises as they could.

     It was only when more mud finally slurped at their heels that they were forced to slow.

     The area would have been an excellent place to lose the ogre one way or another. The trees here were dense but slender. The giant would have to clear the foliage to reach them, but in all reality such slim obstructions wouldn’t buy them much time. If those trees failed to keep it away there was also a very steep, very slick hill immediately to the right of the new mudbank. The boys might have had a chance to lead it over the edge if they hadn’t gotten stuck.

     Kaneki, who had run into a spot with deeper mud, was at least lucky enough to have a tree within his reach. It was a thick tree with low-hanging branches, but it leaned precariously over the hill. Kaneki grabbed the sturdiest branch he could and strained to pull his legs free.

     Hide forced his way through, finding himself in shallower and shallower mud until he was able to move without having to worry too much if he would trip. But he stopped before he got too far and turned to beckon to his friend. He whispered, “Come on, come on, you’re almost out.”

     But the and the ogre was also nearly out. Of the trees. The moment it kicked down the last tree between it and the objects of its pursuit, Kaneki managed to free himself of the mud.

     It charged at Hide like an incensed bull, and when it passed by the tree Kaneki was gripping with terror, it smacked it over the hillside with the back of its rough-skinned hand. And there went Hide’s best friend.

     The boy shrieked for Kaneki, but the ogre was coming upon him quickly! He had to run. He had to leave Kaneki behind if he wanted to live. “I’ll come back!” he hollered as he fled from the earthly giant. “Kaneki, I’ll come back!”

               

 

 

     By some stroke of luck, the boy found himself plunked in yet more mud. This time it was welcomed. Without the mud he might have actually been injured in that tumble. Because the mud had been there to soften his landing, the only noteworthy pain he felt was in his ribs. But that was nothing more than a stitch in his side caused by all of that panting and fleeing.

     He wriggled and shifted in efforts to free himself from the forest’s sticky brown grip. It took a few minutes, but he managed to sit up. His hair stuck up like the crest of a blue jay because of the mud, but he didn't care at all. Instead, he looked around to reorient himself.

     The area was much sparser in foliage than the woods above and there was a thin film of water sitting over the mud, making it look glassy. It was foggier down here. It also smelled a little strange...

     When he glanced over his shoulder, he saw that the knapsack was still on his back, but the flap had come loose. Some of its contents lay scattered up the hillside. Lots of the items were caught in the damp soil or on protruding black roots. Some of them were still sliding and tumbling down after him. The tree he’d fallen with had landed on the trunks of two other trees which were growing from the hill. It was being held over his head. Those trees had probably saved spared Kaneki from a gruesome death.

     The hill itself was taller than the ogre and nearly vertical. He was not going to be able to scale it unless he somehow learned to fly. Dejected, Kaneki resigned to waiting. He had heard Hide’s calls and understood that he would come back for him the moment he lost the ogre.

     With distrusting eyes, the boy judged the trees over his head. Nothing seemed to be happening. The wood wasn’t creaking. The few leaves they possessed weren’t shaking. Those two trees seemed to be able to handle the weight of the third tree just fine. He was safe from being smashed so he allowed himself to stand. Then he began to collect everything he could which had spilled from his knapsack.

      _Sllp_....

      Kaneki had _barely_ heard it. Stiffer than the trees surrounding him, he peered into the mist.

      Nothing was different. The mist and the film over the sludge seemed undisturbed. But that didn’t mean much to him. Quiet as it had been, he was _sure_ he’d just perceived the slurp of something moving through the muck.

      He continued to stared into the grey forest with the caution of a deer. Moments turned into minutes, and when he didn’t hear anything more, he tried to force the worry back down. An animal, probably. Or something with no interest in him... He hoped.

      He turned back to the hillside and stepped forward. Pressing one hand against the hill to steady himself, he reached for a book that was sliding down toward him. It was almost to his fingertips...

     _Sllp... Sllp. SllpSllpSllp!_

     Kaneki screamed before he even saw it. His heart leapt into his head as his eyes leapt to the oncoming threat.

     The threat was a monster disguised as one of the most beautiful elven women he had ever seen! She scrambled toward him with glossy violet hair and ears much longer and sharper than his or his mother’s! Her hunger-crazed eyes stood out against the mist; they were a vivid red that almost seemed to glow ever so faintly. As she approached, her the sclera framing her red irises filled with black!

     The boy barely had time to turn all the way around to face her before she slammed into him, forcing him back against the wall of soil with her body! It had been like she hadn’t had any idea he would be so close and if there wasn’t a hillside directly behind him she would have just knocked him over!

     They both gasped at the impact. However, while Kaneki’s gasp had been one of fear, hers had been one of pleasant surprise! “I wasn’t sure you were real,” she purred as her hands found their way to his shoulders and began to shred his cape and shirt. “I must be lucky!”

     It was then that Kaneki began to properly react. He was still shocked, but he knew he could no longer be passive and helpless if he wanted to live. He attempted to wriggle out of her grasp. He kicked and kneed at her legs. He bucked against her weight and attempted to shove her away from him. But no matter what he tried, it didn’t seem to be of any use. The most he could do was jostle her a little bit. She seemed to be far too strong for him, even for someone a few heads taller than him, as she was.

     When pain rushed through his shoulder and he felt liquid spill down his back and chest, he finally managed to push past the woman! But he merely fell down onto his hands and knees at her feet.

     “RAAH!” came her bloodthirsty growl as she leapt back down upon him and buried her sharp nails in his back!

     “HELP!” rang through the swamp. There would be nobody coming to save him and he knew it, but he kept shouting and “help” kept ringing. But on top of that, he kept struggling, which he knew was where his chances laid. He reached out into the mud for something he could use as a weapon! He even tried to crawl out from under her, but there was no way a weak child like him could escape the grip of a monster such as she.... the grip of a _ghoul_.

     When he realized what she was, he gasped. Suddenly he became aware of her actions. He could feel her digging into him and devouring him. He could hear her mouth smacking as she was _swallowing_ pieces of him. He could smell his blood spilling from his wounds and from her mouth. She didn’t seem to care about all the pain she was causing him, nor did she notice that she was slowly being pulled along. The ghoul was too busy stripping away the flesh on his back and shoulder with her blood-dyed teeth. She had also wrapped her arms around his torso and was slowly sinking her fingers into his gut. His insides were being _punctured_ by those sleek nails of hers.

     In just moments his screams, which had been so momentous, became raspy cries. In a few more moments the raspy cries became wheezes. Exhaustion buckled the boy’s arms and his head fell into the muck. He turned his head to keep breathing though he knew it was futile. Weakness was replacing all the fear that had been driving him. It had even slunk into his mind. But that weakness had to share the space with his anxiety for Hide. He winced upon thinking about his precious friend and hoped that he would never find his way back to the place they got seperated. He hoped that the ogre would chase him all the way to his home, right into the safety of his hometown and not let him return for Kaneki. That it would not let him return to this place to be killed by this ghoul like Kaneki soon would be.

     _Crreaaak_!

     A blurry tree fell towards the ghoul and her victim. It had snapped the trunks of the two trees which had been supporting it and was now tumbling down the hill... towards him and his devourer.

     After the earth-shattering _BOOM_ of the tree landing upon them, there was one final scream. But this time the scream was that of the ghoul.

 

 

 

     That ogre had been a lot harder to lose than Hide had anticipated. He blamed that big, lumpy nose it had, despite all the boogers it had been leaking. That, and his inability to shower in the last two days. With the help of its trusty nose, the ogre had probably been able to find him every time he hid because of his body odors.

    The boy was exhausted, but he couldn’t allow himself even the slightest rest just yet. Not while his best friend was out there, alone and maybe even injured. Hide hadn’t had a chance to check and see how steep or tall the hillside was... hopefully not impressive in either aspect. But even if it wasn’t an impressive drop, there was still that tree to worry about too.

     Hide raced around a corner and finally saw it! The second mudbank and the hillside Kaneki had been struck over!

     With his heart in his throat, Hide jogged over to the edge and peered down. “Kaneki! I’m here!"

     There was no answer. And he couldn’t see very much either. It was almost dusk and a thick mist had crept in down there which was obscuring the base of the hill. The combination of silence and obscurity caused Hide’s nerves to shoot up. His brows furrowed in apprehension and he called a little louder, “K-Kaneki?”

     The silence persisted.

     The boy rubbed the side of his face with his fingertips, a habit of his when he was nervous. He paced along the top of the hillside for a few minutes in search of a safe place to descend. When he found a suitable area, he eased down into the damp haze. The bottom of the hill was a lot farther than he’d been expecting, but thankfully the steepness implied to him that Kaneki hadn’t dropped the entire distance. He set his bare feet upon the soft ground and padded through the trees, heading to the place where he assumed Kaneki would have landed.

     Hide stepped around a tree and his eyes fell upon the scene.

     Oh no.

     _Oh no_.

     Hide’s hands shook at his sides and the area came rushing up towards him before he even realized his legs were moving! The blood the blood the blood! Was it Kaneki’s? Could such a great amount of blood belong to one person?

     Kaneki was not here. Nobody was. And yet, the expanse was utterly red and reeked of death. The tree, laying in the churned up muck and blood, was cracked and broken. There seemed to be shreds of red flesh caught in the bark where it was sitting on the mud, but no body lying beneath it. Instead, there lay the boys’ torn up knapsack and some scattered objects it had once held. There was Kaneki’s favorite book, the Black Goat’s Egg. And there were the boys’ boots and socks. And there was Hide’s dagger, still held within its leather sheathe.

     But where was Kaneki?

     Frantic, Hide dug through the mud and checked on both sides of the fallen tree. He looked around for a note or a clue. He toiled for hours, inspecting the area and the forest nearby and eventually ended up just shouting for his friend, but nothing came of his efforts. When it was dark and cold and Hide’s throat was sore, he returned to the bloody mess Kaneki had left behind. Somberly, the boy collected as much as he could of their scattered supplies. And then, with a conviction to return with help, he trudged into the forest in the direction of his hometown.

 


	3. Moment of Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 6 years later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tiny bit gory.

 

 

      The blonde hurried past towering stacks of information resting in the arms of busy assistants as they scurried to deliver the papers to the archives. He swerved through a group of tall-imposing investigators. He dashed right past the cage of a ferocious manticore. It roared as he passed but the boy was so fixed on his path that he didn’t even glance behind.

      Finally he made it through the tall, daunting doors of the fortress and that’s when he broke into a real sprint! He _flew_ down that torch-lit hallway like a hungry harpy with prey in its sights! He heard voices with tones of reprimand as he ran, but didn’t care enough to actually digest the words. He just wanted to go!

      Hide’s shoes slipped a little on one of the rugs as he tried to dash around a corner. He ended up skidding into the wall. While the stone-blocks didn’t actually damage him at all, he winced. It was a wince of embarrassment.

      The expressions of those in the room ahead were the only ones he really cared about. They cast him raised eyebrows and sideways glances as they moved through the room. The people who wore those faces came in all sizes, shapes, ages and genders. They were equipped with impressive weapons and armor. More still raced around the room with notes and files, many of which would be filed away in the archives and never inspected again.

      The blonde straightened himself out and walked into the room with as dignified an expression as he could manage. And his efforts at looking at least a tiny bit respectable seemed to pay off.

      A pretty goblin girl with brown-flecked grey-green skin and floppy ears walked up to him and asked, “Do you have news?”

      Hide nodded and explained, “Yeah, I think I have another lead.”

      She nodded, though one of her eyes narrowed a bit in qualm. “Alright. Follow me and you can tell me about your lead.”

      “Um—Actually I wanted to talk to investigator Amon... if that’s alright! He’s the one that talked to me last time and—”

      Uninterested, she waved his chatter away as if there were a foul smell lingering in front of her face. As she turned to leave, the little investigator murmured, “Go find him then. But don’t cause any trouble.”

      Hide nodded and began to wander around the room. It was a large room with lots of tables in the middle, but the edges of the room had tall bookshelves and desks stacked with papers. Busy record-keepers and assistants scrambled to keep those desks organized as more and more papers were added to the mix. Standing around or sitting at the tables were the armored hunters themselves. They all looked so proud and regal.

      Ah! There they were!

      Hide moved over to the group. How lucky was he, to know the name of everyone that happened to be there. He would be able to address them all properly without embarrassing himself... like he had a couple days ago.

      Investigator Amon noticed him first, but he didn’t make any move to greet him or inform his companions of Hide’s approach. Instead, he just watched Hide with solemn interest while the other investigators exchanged information and theories. It sounded like they were talking about some ghoul called, “The Gourmet.”

      Hide bowed quickly before the group of four and said, “Good afternoon investigators Amon, Mado, Shinohara and Suzuya.”

      Shinohara, a good natured orc with a receding hairline and defined cheeks, smiled pleasantly and replied with, “Good afternoon Mr. Hideyoshi. What brings you to the fortress?”

      While rubbing the bags under his eyes, Suzuya muttered, “He has something unpleasant,” with a sadistic little smile.

      “No—well actually I mean yes, but,” Hide bumbled. He was a little thrown off by the strange young investigator’s knowing eyes. “I think I found another lead. It might be another ghoul, maybe even the same ghoul.”

      “Ah,” Shinohara said and clapped his silver-haired human partner on the back. “That’s your case then, Mado, Amon. We need to get back to our own investigation though. Goodbye Mr. Hideyoshi.” And then they left.

      Hide looked over and was surprised to see that investigators Amon and Mado had moved. They were sitting down at a nearby table as he spotted him, so he jogged over and pulled up a chair.

      “Tell us about your new lead Mr. Hideyoshi,” Amon offered while Mado crossed her arms and stared brusquely at Hide as if she were annoyed. She probably was. She _definitely_ was.

      Hide swallowed and described the scene he’d come upon while “sightseeing”. Well, not really. He’d been investigating what he thought to be the potential ghoul territory and had been deliberately searching for evidence of ghouls or other monsters he could come back to the CCG with. But he merely told the investigators that he was on a relaxing nature walk. The scene he’d come across had been a mossy rock slab stained with blood and saliva. When he found it, the rock still had some tissue and grit caught in its cracks.

      The investigators seemed pretty concerned with his findings. Amon had scratched a few things down on a notepad and Mado’s mean look had been replaced with one of vague interest. “Where exactly was this slab?” Amon asked calmly.

      “It was just about an hour to the west of the Ward’s mill. There’s a bunch of lilacs in the area, but... I can’t think of any especially amazing landmarks I can give you,” Hide explained with a frown. “But if you want, I can lead you there.”

      “That won’t be necessary,” Mado interjected.

      “Thank you for bringing this to us,” Amon said curtly as he stood up and handed the notepad to an assistant who had stopped by when he spotted Amon jotting down notes. “We shall look into it.”

      “H-happy to help...” Hide mumbled a little disappointedly. He bowed to the investigators one more time before he walked himself out.

 

 

 

      His sigh was deep and despondent. With his hands buried in the pockets of his pants and the hood of his cloak hanging over his face, he trudged through the late night rain towards the town he’d spent most of the last six years of his life in.

      He had spent just as long with the CCG. But unlike the town, nobody was in the CCG would give him a warm welcome. For years, he’d been trying to get involved with the hunt for ghouls, but instead he was made to toil away with other monstrosities. Monsters he didn’t care too much about. Monsters that weren’t even truly a threat to anyone, like kobolds or imps! At first he’d assumed it was because of his age and that he could work his way up to ghouls, but then Suzuya came along. Suzuya, who was exactly the same age as Hide, nineteen, had been accepted as a ghoul investigator in a few mere months while Hide had been working at CCG for years! Not that he was angry at Suzuya for that; Hide understood that Suzuya was very deserving of his job, but he couldn’t help being jealous. Did it really take being kidnapped and raised—debatably—by ghouls and a numbness to pain for Hide to finally have his dream job? And one more thing; Hide wasn’t even as ambitious to go for _investigator_. He actually wanted to be a researcher. And he knew he would be good at it too.

      But no. Maybe he was doomed to trap and study the miscellaneous mayhems that didn’t actually pose a threat to anyone’s lives.

     He glanced up, through the falling rain at the arch that welcomed travelers to the peaceful twentieth ward. Behind the arch stood two grumpy looking guards who were each huddled under leaky wooden coverings. They greeted him as he passed and he responded to their greeting with, “Thanks. May you sleep fitfully when you get the chance,” which their expressions softened upon hearing.

      The spacious streets of the ward, which were usually pretty busy, were completely vacant as Hide passed through. He had been expecting just a few more people out, despite the rain and the late hour. Sighing sadly over the state of his job, Hide turned the corner and... stopped.

      What was that noise?

      He peered around. There was narrow alley between two wooden buildings a little ways ahead of him. It was probably wide enough for most people to be able to wander through, though their shoulders might brush the walls. Cautiously, he crept towards the alley and, with his back to the wall, he peered into its depths.

      The astonishment he felt when he spotted the gored body almost caused him to emit a noise of surprise, but he somehow remained quiet.

      Because it was so heavily mutilated, Hide could not make an accurate guess as to the body’s species and gender. He _kind_ of thought it might be woman because of its feminine looking hands, but even they were broken and damaged.

      Hide peered deeper into the alley, searching for any sign of movement. He didn’t want to step in and start investigating if the ghoul was still present. And the thing was, what he’d just heard was not the dead body. It had sounded like _swallowing_. And that’s when he glimpsed movement at the far end of the alley, where it was the darkest. A figure was meandering towards the street.

      When the figure, which resembled a bearded dwarf man with pale, blotchy skin, sunken eyes and ratty hair that hadn’t been brushed or washed in months, stepped into the light of the street, Hide knew it was a ghoul. Not because of his amazing instincts, but because of the blood and the strand of flesh hanging from its dirtied and patchy beard. This ghoul was feral. He made little to no effort to blend in with humans and let himself be driven completely by his compulsions. If he were to spot Hide, the boy couldn’t try to play it off like he thought the ghoul was a person and had not witnessed it devouring someone.

      The ghoul darted from the alley and disappeared from Hide’s sight.

      Okay. This was the moment of truth.... should he follow that ghoul or should be let it go?

      Hide crept through the alley, rubbing his face with his fingertips. He weighed his options. While he had one weapon on him, it was no match for a ghoul. And even if he did have a suitable weapon created with a ghoul kakuhou, he didn’t have the training required to properly defend himself. If the ghoul noticed him he would have to run. The issue was that ghouls had incredible stamina and speed, especially when they were eating well. This ghoul had _just_ eaten. It had plenty of energy to spare. On the other hand, Hide was a fantastic sneak. He was probably better at stealth than most of the investigators who went through actual stealth training. Plus he even had a potion on him to mute his scent! What a great time to put it to use! But more importantly, maybe this ghoul could lead him to its home. And what if it was part of a group? If Hide returned to the CCG with the location of a ghoul hoard, he could leverage that to help him advance into the ghoul-related areas of the CCG.

      Hide looked out of the alley and saw the ghoul loping through the dark streets. When it was a safe distance away, Hide slipped out from the alley and tailed it while quietly pulling the small golden vial from his pocket. He downed the contents in a single swig and stashed the vial back in his pocket. The rest was up to him.

      The dwarflike ghoul easily slunk through the darkened streets. It probably wasn’t even the slightest bit worried about being seen, though it obviously should have been. All of the city’s torches had been snuffed out by the rain, so the ghoul only had to duck beneath the occasional lit window. It stepped loudly in puddles every once in a while, but aside from that Hide was pretty impressed with how quiet it could be. They reached the edge of the ward in no time. The ghoul stopped before leaving the closely knit houses, to wash its face and beard with the water from a puddle. Then it inspected the tall protective walls for any guards that may have been keeping watch over the town and the wilderness that lay just outside. Hide didn’t see anyone either.

      When the ghoul deemed the coast clear, it crawled out from the cover of the buildings, grunting and sniffing the air like a beast. But then it stood up straight, with its shoulders back and its head held high. It continued to walk beneath the arch with exaggerated nobility. Just in case.

      Hide really wanted to snort. He followed without worrying how he might have appeared to any observers. He even stopped within the arch to peek around the forest, in case any more ghouls or dangerous creatures showed themselves. But the coast seemed to be clear for him as well so he continued to tail the ghoul into the deep darkness of the woods.

      Hide had never been so terrified of these woods. They had always seemed so charming to him before when he visited... in the daytime. There were really tall black pine trees and twisting, elegant oaks with very pale grey-white bark, kind of like that of aspen trees. The ground sloped a lot too, creating many hills and small valleys which were collecting lots of water at the moment. Hide had a really hard time keeping his steps quiet. The ghoul was moving a lot faster now, practically running, and on top of that there was no path for Hide to walk on to avoid the tall, damp grass, ferns and sticks on the forest floor. And on top of the monster’s speed, it was really dodgy too. It kept making really sharp turns, weaving around trees or outright running in whole new directions for minutes at a time.

      There were a few times that the ghoul would abruptly stop, stand up very straight and stare into the forest ahead of it, then glance all around itself, like a rodent scanning for danger. These instances were always _shit-worthy_ for Hide. The very first time it happened, he actually turned around and was about to sprint for his life when the ghoul merely continued to run in the same direction it had been running before it stopped. He’d been sure it knew he was there. And while they still scared him terribly, he figured the ghoul was not scanning for _him_ , but someone or something else.

      At the moment, the ghoul was moving a bit slower than usual. Hide was pretty glad for that. It gave him fewer chances to mess up his footing.

      They happened to be moving through a clearer part of the forest. The trees were much larger, but had more space between them and the foliage was beginning to thin out a little. On top of that, elegant flowers with deep red petals were growing here, along with large, jet black mushrooms that could feed a large family... if they weren’t deadly which they probably were. A small child could probably sit on some of the largest ones growing in the area without breaking them.

      Hide crept furtively after the ghoul, who was becoming fidgety. And it kept staring around like it expecting the shadows to jump out at it. Its nose twitched a lot as it tried to smell the damp air. What could be wrong? Had it gotten lost? Hide frowned at the thought. That could mean this perilous adventure had been a waste of his time.

      _Crack_.

      The ghoul tensed along with Hide, who cursed silently and dared to glance down at the forest floor beneath his feet. Had he stepped on someth—

_“You were in the ward.”_

      Oh. Hide looked up at the ghoul, surprised to hear such a calm, viscous voice coming from such a vulgar creature. But when he saw the shivers running through the ghoul, he realized it had not been the one to speak. But that meant— _Oh._ Oh so that crack had been someone else.

      The ghoul continued to shudder for another moment. But then the shock in its system became distain. It uttered a low growl which eventually morphed into a rumbling, “ _Fine_. I was.”

      “Did you leave evidence?”

      The ghoul did not answer. The ghoul did not _breathe_.

      Hide didn’t breathe either. This mysterious disembodied voice made him fear for the vile creature. The boy looked around from his hiding place in the underbrush beside a large pine tree. He didn’t see anyone _anywhere._ The ghoul didn’t seem to be giving the search for the voice any effort. The dwarf ghoul just stared down at its feet with quiet, proud rage. It was not taking these few cold words well.

      _Crack_. “Well?”

      And then the ghoul raised its head. Hide followed where he guessed it was facing... and he spotted it! And oh boy did it look dangerous.

      Another ghoul sat perched up in the trees of a very large tree with aspen-like bark and silvery leaves. He couldn’t see very much of the ghoul itself from this distance, but he could easily see numerous swaying red kagune forming a halo around the creature’s body. Because its kagune were out, Hide assumed this meant this ghoul was preparing to kill.

      At the sound of flesh tearing and flapping, Hide looked back to the ghoul he’d been trailing and was awed to see a single vivid kagune expanding out from the creature’s tail-bone area. A Bikaku.

      "Centipede," It rasped. "It doesn't have to end like this... for you."

      Hide watched the feral ghoul carefully, but looked up from it when he heard the other scoff.

      But the ghoul in the tree—the " _Centipede_ "—was gone!

      Tense, Hide receded a little further into his hiding place in the foliage. This was such a bad idea. Such a royally _horrendous_ idea. As amazing as seeing a ghoul fight would be, he now had to worry about keeping an eye out for _two_ ghouls—and maybe even more than that! If they spotted him, what if they teamed up to chase him down?

      A scream drew his attention back to the bearded ghoul before him. It was holding its gut and hobbling backwards, single kagune swishing like the tail of an aggravated cat. Blood sputtered from the wound for a moment or two before the blood began to slowly cauterize and the wound began to heal.

      The next thing Hide knew was the other ghoul was above it, descending upon the dwarf-ghoul like a whirlybird seed! It’s vibrant red tentacles swayed and helped the ghastly creature to twist as it fell! After kicking the ghoul in the face, the attacker's kagune impaled the poor creature multiple times through the torso. Hide had heard it's ribs and spine _crumbling_ as the deadly weapons wriggled in the body surrounding them.

      The wretch was dead before its killer even retracted its spidery red tentacles. The corpse dropped with a wet flop.

      Hide swallowed as quietly as he could.

      He couldn’t see the victor’s face. There as something there, blocking it. What was that? A mask? A _leather mask_? Hide frowned, uncertain. How strange. Ghouls rarely made any effort to conceal their identities. They didn’t really have identities to hide. It was even rare for a normal people to hide their face, even if they planned to commit murder. Back to the ghoul though; what good would a mask even do for someone who looked as strange as this person did, from what he could see. First and foremost, the ghoul, which was still standing perfectly still over its victim, had stark white hair. Paler than that of most elders and far thicker. And his ears were pointed too. Hmm. There weren’t a lot of elves in the area, so that was another detriment.

      The ghoul finally moved, taking one step forward to kneel down next to the body. Its hands went to its mask and... unzipped the mouth area.

      Hide felt his stomach churn. Oh deities no.

      The first bite was loud. The sound of the dead ghoul’s skin splitting against the force the elf-ghoul’s teeth nauseating.

      Hide was perturbed, but at the same time, he was awed. He’d heard of cannibalistic ghouls before but... he didn’t think it was something he’d ever get to witness. He didn’t even expect to work a case involve ghoul cannibalism ever. As far as he knew, cannibalistic ghouls were even worse freaks of nature than the normal ones. They mutated even further into the realms of abomination. But that made him even more nervous to be around this ghoul. While the other ghoul could probably kill Hide with just as much ease, the thought of following a masked cannibal ghoul was much less appealing than a feral ghoul that mimicked walking with nobility in case guards appeared.

      The ghoul swallowed and was about to take another bite when it slowed down and became still. It closed its mouth and raised its head.

      Hide was not proud of the alarmed " _herk!"_ he uttered when he saw the ghoul’s head snap toward him. Neither was he proud of the way he scrambled backwards on his butt when the ghoul was upon him, standing over him. It's glossy teeth were dyed and _dripping_ with warm blood. The _crack_ that sounded from its bloodstained knuckles destroyed the last of his bravery.

      _But Hide_... Hide had never been one to express his deafening dread well. He knew many who would probably splice their pleas with goodbye-cruel-worlds and other things. But instead he just shook a little bit and continued to creepy slowly backwards on his butt. He was tense as if he were preparing to run, but he also reached into his pocket for his trusty dagger. These were both instincts though. He knew he couldn’t do anything. Not against a _ghoul_. He was as helpless here as a lamb in a dragon’s lair. No matter what he decided to do, this ghoul would devour him with ease.

      ....Or... or _not?_

      While there had surely been an intent to kill when it first appeared before Hide, the look in the Centipede's one visible Kagune-recolored eye had changed and Hide was alarmed by how little he understood it. Usually he could read people like they were children’s books with a few words a page. But right now he was stumped. What was going on in this person's mind?

      Quickly, before Hide had a chance to _truly_ examine its masked face, the ghoul turned back to its meal. It lifted the dwarf-like ghoul’s corpse and began to walk away. Not once did it look back.

      Hide’s stumpedness intensified. Had the ghoul possessed gorgon powers? Had he been turned to stone? All he could do was sit there, watching the ghoul leave with varying expressions of confusion. Finally, he stood up and blinked like a sorcerer had flashed something bright in his face. Then he called out, very _very_ nervously, “Why?”

      Hide got no answer. The ghoul had disappeared.

 

 


	4. The Caves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet more gore.  
> Also trash.

 

      Thunder splintered far above the treetops like the beating of dragon wings. When it finally quieted, the rain picked up and became something of a downpour. The tall, thick trees he sat below were dipping their arms and their leaves to allow more water to drizzle towards the flattened grass.

      Muscles and meat with an indescribably putrid taste slithered down his throat. It fell uncomfortably into his belly where he could feel it nourishing him. He wanted to gag. But he also wanted to _drown_ in his feast’s blood. But it wasn’t just because of his usual bloodlust.

      Without receiving a single scratch from that quick battle, Kaneki Ken felt like he was about to die. Violent churning existed inside both his stomach and his head. But it wasn’t the churning or the nausea he received from his meal that he cared about. It was the pangs of memory and emotion that kept snipping at his scrambled brain. Phrases and expressions he’d buried long ago were resurfacing. His mind was full of _Hide_.

      Hide, who he’d cried for.

      Hide, who he’d resigned as a part of his past.

      Hide, who he’d given up on ever finding out what had happened to.

      Why was the knowledge that his old friend still lived not comforting? Was it because Kaneki had been moments from _taking_ that life from him?

      The white-haired ghoul swallowed another ratty belt of muscle after chewing quickly. He didn’t want to have to linger on the taste.

      He really had come _incredibly_ close to tearing the blonde to pieces. Normally he would not be so fast to hurt _any_ human, especially not defenseless one. But his head hadn’t been on quite right because of his feasting on another ghoul.

      Routine as it had become for him to consume ghoul flesh, he still teetered on the edge of sanity when performing cannibalism. It was natural. _Debatably_. That was why he sat amidst these large gnarled tree roots, devouring his kill all alone in a rainy forest. There was nobody around to bother him and nobody for him to hurt on accident.

      He took another deep, jerking bite from the ghoul’s gut and stripped out a long red ribbon of gore. His snowy white hair was dyed red and his eye pulsed black. As he dragged the meat through his mouth, grit popped against his jaws and juices flowed between his teeth. When it was tender enough, he swallowed the chewed red snake and buried his face once more in his fellow monster’s putrid torso.

      When he took another bite, the goofy face of that thirteen year-old human appeared in the back of his mind.

      Kaneki spat into his palm.

      “Why?” he sighed. He flicked the spit-out morsel out to the side and attempted to continue eating. He _wanted_ to think about Hide but he _needed_ to eat and he couldn’t do both.

      Hide had called “why” after him, hadn’t he? Why what? Why let him live, maybe?

      Kaneki growled into the bloody carnage and forced the human out of his mind. Hide was a human and of all monsters, Kaneki was a _ghoul_. That was that.

 

 

      The storm had become as vicious and irrational as many of the cursed beasts that wandered these woods. Sometimes the white haired boy could walk through the rain without any immediate fear of being swept away. But other times Kaneki would have to squat in the roots of the thickest oaks and root his powerful kagune deep in the soil just to stay upright. The forest around him panicked when this happened. The wind sounded like hundreds of shrill little animals screaming. Leaves were being _snatched_ from the trees by raindrops and branches were being snapped off!

      Needless to say, even for the notoriously dangerous Centipede, his journey home was perilous. His mind began to stray back to thoughts of Hide. Specifically, he wondered how the human might be faring in this storm. But before the thoughts could consume his attention once more, he pushed them away and focused on his destination.

      _Finally_ he arrived at the toothy maw of the cave in which he resided! He seemed to be just in time too. The weather was beginning to lean towards agitated again. The wind picked up behind him as he delved into the cave’s damp throat.

      Slick stalactites grazed his heels as he plunged deeper and deeper into the darkness.  
      Snapped bones and broken skulls lay propped up against some of the columns he passed, left over from the _visitors_ he and his companions catered to. Some of those bones still had a little bit of meat to be picked off.

      When the cave’s exit was no longer visible, he started passing by some of his guests. The first was a trembling figure who was kneeling with their cheek pressed against the cool stone of the cave wall. He heard the scratching of their nails against rock. And after them he began to pass more and more. Lots of the guests were feral. They tended to be shabby, miserable creatures with faces devoid of humor or passion that didn’t involve their hunger. Often, they possessed unhealthy, blotchy skin that resembled the flesh of the corpses they devoured. Despite the strange coloration, they were unabashed and would wander around completely naked.

      Kaneki reached the parts of the cave which were at least vaguely lit with glowing wisps. That’s when he started to encounter the guests with varying degrees of self-awareness and desires for respect. These guests wore clothes and attempted to keep themselves hygienic. They tended to have smaller lairs all of their own where they hid their few bobbles of value and maybe one more outfit. But they often came to the cave for food or, like right now, for shelter from the terrible storm.

      It was in the main room where most of the guests collected. The room was a wide-open cavern lit by large white wisps that spun around on the ceiling like person-sized stars. Smaller wisps glided around the room at the barely-existent pace of dust-flecks. These wisps had been placed there by the magically gifted Mr. Yoshimura, who had founded this ghoul haven. The cavern itself was large enough to host a ball and had a lazy underground river that emitted its own very faint green light. The river meandered in from one of the two large tunnels—the one they had turned into a hallway where Kaneki and the other residents had set up their rooms—and down the other, which was dark and unused. They advised everyone to stay out of that second tunnel for many reasons. One, it was pretty unstable. Parts of the tunnel collapsed every so often. It was never enough to actually block things off, but surely enough to crush anyone standing in the wrong place. Two, the tunnels were very confusing and went for miles and miles. If someone were to get lost in there, they would likely never be seen again.

      The boy’s visible eye moved to the far-side of the cavern. There was a half-circle carved out of the wall and the ground had been chiseled down to the point where it was all even and smooth. He and his fellow residents and companions had set up a few tables so their guests could sit and eat. At the moment, one of those tables was occupied by his companions, the other ghouls who lived in and provided for this safe haven.

      He waved as he began to move over there.

      They waved back.

      Heads turned. Attention fell upon him. Many different pairs of eyes curdled over with red and black when they swept over the rain-drenched ghoul.

      He did not acknowledge those that stared at him with hunger except to glare down at them as he strode past. His visible eye distorted into ghoulishness as a little extra warning.

      It seemed to work. Even those who did not know who he was meekly averted their gazes as he passed.

      He unfastened the mask, managing to get it off right as he arrived at the populated little table.

      The first to greet him was Hinami, the cutest person Kaneki knew. “Hello Brother” she greeted with a warm smile.

      He greeted her with a cheerful smile. The little halfling’s welcome had greatly brightened his spirits and he managed to push everything that had been troubling him out of his system. _Almost_ everything. He realized that he’d been her age when he last saw Hide...

      At the table sat Touka, Koma, Hinami, Hoito, Nishio and Irimi. Most of the the rest of the group seemed to be conversing potential areas in which they could easily find dead bodies. Hinami didn’t seem interested and was doodling with ink pens and worn parchment.

      Touka turned her attention to Kaneki and frowned a little. The human-looking ghoul was a sight to see, even in her current utterly unamused no-bullshit sleepy state. She’d grown out her hair and was wearing it in loose, slender pigtails. With her head resting in her palm, she muttered, “You’re soaking wet.”

      “Ah, yeah I should probably go change,” He said as he looked down at his clinging garments.

      From the especially dark look on Touka’s face as her eyes shifted to something behind him, Kaneki guessed that some of the guests were still ogling him with famished faces. A rumble rose in her throat as she scooted out her chair and stood up. “Let’s talk. I’ll walk you to your room.”

      Kaneki nodded and was pretty sure a smile was trying to creep onto his face. Touka was really protective, and while he was capable of protecting himself now, he appreciated how she cared.

      The two explained that they would be back briefly and walked away from the table. This time Kaneki didn’t bother making any eye contact with the ghouls who were so perversely smitten by his scent. But Touka did. On top of those mean looks, she made low disdainful noises as they passed the guests by. They entered the hallway and walked quietly for a few more moments. Finally, when Touka seemed convinced that nobody was within earshot, she sighed wearily. “Have you eaten?”

      “I did,” he answered. He wasn’t too surprised that Touka could tell. She probably smelled it. Of all the ghouls in this haven, Kaneki probably had the weakest sense of smell, so he had no way of knowing if he still smelled like blood. But since Hinami hadn’t called him out on it, he’d sort of assumed the rain had washed most the blood away.

      Touka narrowed her eyes. “I thought so. And since you didn’t bring it back here I’m guessing it was...”

      He nodded.

      “Why? Were they with the Tree? Or were they a regular here?”

      The boy stopped in front of his room. Like every other room in the haven, a tattered curtain acted as his door. It was the best the haven ghouls could do for themselves for the time being, and it hadn’t been problematic for anyone yet so why fix it. He looked at Touka and explained, “A regular. He’s the one that looked a lot like a dwarf and he had a really patchy beard.”

      “I don’t remember everyone who eats here, Kaneki,” Touka replied gruffly. Her face became a bit more grim than usual. “What made you kill him? Did he attack you?”

      Kaneki shook his head. “No, I attacked him first. He was returning from the ward and he’d just eaten a big meal. I’m certain that he was the one who had been killing women right along the part of the Ward nearest to us.”

      With a disapproving little huff, Touka mumbled, “What an idiot” and turned on her heels. As she headed back down the hallway, she said back to him, “We’re not talking about anything interesting, but I’ll pull up a chair for you.”

      “Thanks.” He pushed aside the curtain and stepped into his room to change into something dry.

 

 

      “Uninteresting” was not the word Kaneki would have used to describe the one-sided conversation he walked in on. He supposed that could very well be Touka’s take on it, seeing as she was propping her head up with both hands and struggling to stay awake. But Kaneki had a lot of fun listening to Enji Koma, a short round troll with a silly pompadour. He always spoke really energetically about his heavily exaggerated misadventures as “The Devil Ape”. Though they were always the same half-dozen stories, he switched up the details every time. Right now though, Kaneki listened intently. It was much better than spacing off and thinking about his own things like he usually did when these stories came up. He knew he would only end up thinking about Hide.

      When Irimi finally got the conversation back onto a more relevant topic, such as how they were going to feed their guests, many delighted gasps filled the cavern.

      The group looked up and saw Yomo, a silver-haired troll who was very handsome even for human standards. He pulled a wooden wagon behind him as he made his way through the room and down the hallway. The underground river lit the man and the wagon as they walked beside it. In the wagon there were him there were five waterlogged gnomish corpses stacked upon each other.

      The guests stood, watching eagerly and wiping drool from their gaping mouths. Some of them asked things like: “How long now?” and “Will we be fed soon?” and “How big will our portions be?”

      It was Yoshimura who answered. The old man stood at the end of the hallway, holding aside the curtain to the very last room so Yomo could pass with the corpses. He smiled kindly and said, “Not long now.” And then he followed Yomo inside.

      Things went on peacefully. For a _little_ _while_.

      The first long, low note that ghosted from the deep grottoes silenced the ghoul haven. Kaneki honestly had no idea what it had been, though he knew he recognized it from somewhere. He also knew that it was _not_ a person noise. The guests seemed to think so too. He heard mumbled speculation about of all sorts of scaled terrors capable of mass destruction. But these were ghouls. Their interest in the possible monsters in the dangerous cave didn’t coincide with fear; it bloomed from curiosity.

      If whatever it was chose to come too close then the group of them would tear it apart for sport.

      All conversation involving dreadful monsters had died by the time Yomo and Yoshimura returned with platters of gnome meat. Kaneki and the other workers stood and hurried to the back room to grab more. Eventually they had set everything out where their guests could get to it. The guests were already ravenously devouring their mediocre helpings, so the workers each took their own helping too. Everyone except for Kaneki.

      With a chary gaze, the boy watched the dank orifice that lead to the deep grottoes. Those tunnels made his skin crawl a little more than usual tonight.

      The same sound wafted from the cave and this time it just _clicked_. Kaneki knew exactly what had found its way so close to their haven through the rank caves and he wasn’t going to let it remain. He crossed the aperture into the damp underground labyrinth. Nobody said anything as he melted into the darkness. Could it be that no one had noticed? No, it was more likely that they knew better than to call him out.

      He strode deliberately through the slick caverns. Half of him was very dimly lit up by the bioluminescent river moving lazily beside him. His other half was dark aside from the muted glow of a ghoulish red eye.

      The previously slow river split into a churning delta almost immediately. This was where a lot of the confusion usually started. Ahead of him lay a riddled wall with tunnels looping and twisting around, above and under each other. It kind of resembled a termite’s mound if a chunk had been ripped off to expose its inner-workings. Some of the green water blurbled as it toppled into black pits that fell directly down, and some of it just continued to slink around the corners.

      Kaneki wasn’t entirely sure which cave was the right one until he heard the creature’s drawn-out cry. When he did, he waded into part of the delta and continued down the fissure without any dry ground he could walk upon. Not that it was an issue. The river was very shallow. It lapped silently at his knees at the deepest point.

      He remained on this path for a few more minutes before he noticed a dim orange light ahead. Fire?

      At the end of the tunnel he found a rotund little cavity. The water pooled around an island in the middle of the room before it continued down more winding channels. He didn’t need to follow those though. He’d found the poor beast.

      Runny off-white candles recolored the room and everything in it with warm yellows and oranges, including the animal. It stood nervously amongst the rutted stalactites, shifting from its front legs to its back. Its flaxen tail, similar to that of a lion’s, was twitching near its hooves. He was right. It was a unicorn.

      Perturbation wrinkled Kaneki’s nose. He didn’t like the way the equine was blindfolded and saddled with two blood-stained rucksacks, but at least it didn’t appear to be hurt. Just scared.

      White ears flicked up when it heard the ghoul approach and it whinnied skittishly.

      Kaneki clicked his tongue and hushed it with gentle “shhh, shhhh”s. That seemed to work well enough. When it was still enough, he removed its blindfold. Then he continued to the rucksacks, yanking the straps clean off and allowing the bags to flump to the stone floor at his feet. _Fwoomp!_

      The surprise he felt when he saw what those bags had contained lasted for a brief moment. Books. Books he recognized. Books he’d been _craving_ to read—some for months and some for _years_ since he’d discovered their existence.

      “My my, Kaneki-kun,” someone despicable crooned, “I hadn’t realized you’d lost so much respect for Takatsuki Sen.”

      Kaneki stared down at the freshly bound books. Most of them had never been read. The tops of their pages had yet to be cut.

      “Dropping her newest novels in the dust? I’m surprised!”

      The books did not enthuse him as they should have but that wasn’t because he wasn’t interested in them. The problem lied with the gifter. He lifted his gaze and glared around the dimly lit cavern until he spotted a splash of red. The ostentatious Tsukiyama Shuu stood amongst some of the natural columns. He wore a cape, white gloves and a flamboyant red outfit with fabric that shined like dark, wet hair. His eyes were flushed with the colors of his hunger. Those eyes widened a bit when he saw that Kaneki had spotted him, so he cracked a nervous smile and fixed his hair while the Kagune faded from them.

      The unicorn nickered so Kaneki broke his glare at Tsukiyama to glance at it and stroke its mane.

      “What do you think? A thoughtful gift from a thoughtful ally?” Tsukiyama purred with feigned suaveness. But Kaneki could hear the anticipation in his voice. “It was so very hard to lure one away from the herd and then into these disgusting caves you choose to reside in. And I hope you appreciate all the work I put into...” and so on.

      While Tsukiyama driveled, Kaneki had taken a few moments to rub the noble beast’s neck. When it was calm, he was able to begin to guide away, out of the candlelight and towards the dark tunnels behind him.

      “Oh no, that won’t do,” he heard the Gourmet drone from right behind him. “I expected...”

      “...What?” Kaneki growled and looked at the violet-haired ghoul. He wouldn't be leaving any time soon. The unicorn was taking its journey to freedom very slowly, testing every step it made through the shallow, lazy river.

      Tsukiyama had crept close, testing his boundaries once more. It was like he lost all sense of self-preservation while in Kaneki’s presence. Though he surely knew that the white-haired boy could tear him to pieces, he still made advances that would obviously not have been received well. If the pervert hadn’t been as useful as he was, Kaneki would have killed him long ago.

      Tsukiyama smiled when Kaneki acknowledged him. He made a theatrical gesture towards the tense white unicorn and sighed, “Oh _nothing_ , Kaneki-kun. I just figured you would have _liked_ it more. I suppose even Hinami might possess some misinformation about your likes and dislikes. No matter, though!” He nodded back at the books that still lay on the ground, surrounded by stalactites and the long waxen fingers of melted candles. “I finally found the books you’ve been looking for. And I also succeeded in at least one of my goals for tonight!”

      “And that would be?” Kaneki led the unicorn around the corner in the tunnel and could no longer directly see the candles. It was becoming calm and seemed to feel safer with his hands near its face to guide it.

      “I got to talk to you alone,” Tsukiyama smiled.

      Kaneki narrowed his eyes. He was too wiped out from his encounter with Hide to deal with Tsukiyama’s uncomfortable attempts to charm him and maybe try to take a chunk out of him.

      “ _What?_ What’s with that look?”

      “...I’m trying to convince myself not to harm you.”

      Tsukiyama’s hand shot up and he opened his mouth, prepared to blurt something out, but then he closed his mouth and lowered his hand. He seemed to have decided not to say another word. And he didn’t which Kaneki was grateful of. It took a long time to get the unicorn into the main cavern where the majority of their guests and residents collected. The beast was met with a lot of curious and conflicted expressions, but none that lasted for longer than a few moments. Most of them barely cared enough to take a second look at the unicorn and its two chaperons as it passed.

      The rain was still falling with fervor when the trio reached the mouth of the ghoul haven. Not that the unicorn seemed to mind. It’s pace had picked up to a trot and then to a gallop when it had spotted natural light. When trees and grass—sodden and ravaged as they were—came into its vision, the unicorn had broken into a run! It disappeared into the cold downpour with one final whinny.

      Kaneki yawned. With the awkward Tsukiyama trailing a few feet behind him, he turned around and headed back into the caves.

     


End file.
